Modern Marriage
by AlOlLove
Summary: Following on from Taken Sick, Day by Day and Planned Parenthood. FEMSLASH. Olivia and Alex are happily married, and considering expanding their family further.
1. Chapter 1

Olivia awoke, and briefly wondered where she was. And then she remembered. She was in Carolyn, Alex's sister's, cabin. They had just had a wonderful Christmas Day, made all the more special by the unexpected – by Alex – arrival of their elderly friend Helen, whom they all knew as Wheels. Lily had been especially delighted when Wheels had agreed to be grandma to her and baby Maisie.

Olivia turned in the bed, and saw that it was empty. Alex could only be in one place. Olivia shrugged on her robe, and padded to their youngest daughter's bedroom, and saw Alex sat in the chair by the crib, holding the eight-month girl tenderly, and whispering nonsense to her as she snuffled and whimpered in her mother's arms.

Alex looked up, and smiled tiredly at her wife. "She's catching a cold, and I think her teeth are still sore too. You're having a lousy time, huh, Maisie?" she looked down at the small, blonde infant.

Olivia perched on the arm of the chair, and kissed Alex softly. "The joys of parenthood," she said with a smile. "Shall I get her some milk?"

Alex nodded. "That would be good. She's running a little fever, so any fluids will help. Hey," she stroked Maisie's face, "it's okay, sweetie. It's going to be okay. Mama's getting you something to drink, and we'll just sit here until you're feeling a little happier. It's okay, doodlebug, I'm not going anywhere," she rocked her gently.

After Maisie had drunk just over half the bottle of milk, Alex continued to hold her until she fell asleep in her arms. She stood up and started to lower the baby into her crib, but Maisie immediately awoke and started to wail. "Oh baby girl, it's okay," Alex held her close again. "It's okay. You don't wanna be on your own. I get that. Shh now, there you go. How would you like to come to bed with me and Mama, just this once? We can all stay together then. That'll be nice, won't it?"

Alex laid Maisie down between her and Olivia, and smiled when the small child snuggled into her front, at the same time reaching out one hand to grab Olivia's pajama top. She wanted both her mommies close, and Olivia obliged by snuggling up behind her.

"Just like her Mommy," Olivia teased in a quiet voice. "Has to be held when she's sick."

Alex opened her mouth to protest, and then shut it again and gave a small, rueful smile. "Touché," she said.

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When Olivia awoke again and peered at her watch, she realized it was just after 8am. She could smell coffee, so she guessed that Wheels at least was up, and she strongly suspected that the nearly-five-year-old Lily was also awake. She looked over at Alex, and smiled. Maisie was still wrapped in her arms. She was still snuffly, but she was sleeping soundly, as was Alex.

Carefully, Olivia slipped out of bed, making sure not to wake her girls. She grabbed her clothes from the chair and carried them into the living room.

She was surprised to find no sign of life in the rest of the cabin, until she saw a note by the coffee machine, next to a plate of waffles. "Lily and I have gone for a walk by the lake. Lily has made you some waffles. Enjoy! W. xxx"

Olivia smiled. She poured herself a coffee, and took a grateful gulp. She put two waffles in the microwave to warm up, and donned the clothes she had been wearing the day before. She would shower later, once everyone was awake.

Olivia ate her waffles quickly and donned her coat and boots before she carried the rest of her coffee outside. As she looked over, she could see Wheels sitting on the bench by the water. She caught a glimpse of Lily's woollen hat, and realized that she must be sitting on Wheels' lap.

Wheels and Lily were deep in conversation, and didn't hear Olivia approaching.

"Auntie Wh... I mean Grandma Wheels," Lily started.

"Yes, sweetie?"

"Mommy says Auntie May has gone to live with Jesus. Does that mean we will never see her again?"

Wheels tightened her hold on the young girl. "That's right, Lily," she said, softly. "May has gone now, and we won't see her again, not in the way we are used to."

"Is she happy living with Jesus?" Lily wanted to know.

"I'm sure she is," Wheels told her. "He will be taking real good care of her in Heaven."

"Are you very sad she isn't here any more?"

"I am. Very sad," Wheels admitted. "But I have to be grateful that she is happy now. And I know she's watching over all of us, and making sure we're okay."

"How do you know that?" Lily persisted.

"I just have to look around me, to know that she's still here, with me, with all of us. I look over at something as beautiful as this lake, or at someone as wonderful as you are, and I just know that May is still a part of that. She loved you very much, Lily. You were one of the last things we talked about, did you know that?"

Lily looked up at her elderly friend.

"Your Mama sent us a picture of Maisie, just a few minutes after she was born. And May said to me that she was a very lucky little girl, to have your Mommy and Mama as parents, and to have you as her big sister. She said she knew you would take care of her."

Lily nodded. "I told Mama I'd try and be a good big sister," she said, solemnly.

"And that's just what you are," Olivia interrupted.

Lily looked up, and gave a huge grin. "Mama! Grandma Wheels and I have been watching the ducks. They're real funny."

Olivia sat on the bench next to Wheels. She placed her hand gently on her arm. "I hope Lily isn't talking your ears off!"

Wheels smiled. "Lily has been a very entertaining companion. We have had a nice long walk, and we were just watching the world go by."

"Grandma Wheels? Will you come and live with us?"

Wheels laughed, and shook her head. "No, Lily. I won't live with you. But I am hoping to get an apartment real close to you, if that would be okay? I've rented an apartment a few miles away, just while I look for the right place to buy."

"Can we come visit you?"

"_All_ the time," Wheels said. "I hope you'll visit me as often as you can."

Lily grinned. "I like having a grandma," she told Olivia. "I think Maisie will like it too."

Olivia had blink away her tears. "You have a very special grandma. She's going to teach you all sort of things."

"She told me this morning that the brown ducks are the lady ducks," Lily was proud to have remembered. "And the ones wearing the real smart feathers are the boy ducks. She said it is because boy birds like to brag," she grinned.

Olivia gave a bark of laughter. "Well, she's not wrong there. Maybe we can all go to the zoo, and look at the birds there?"

Lily looked up at Wheels eagerly. "Can we?" she asked.

Wheels hugged her tight. "Of course we can," her voice cracked. "Of course we can."

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"Do we _have_ to?" Caryn complained to Abbie that morning. "This is such a great hotel room, and Jeff has Daniel. I can think of _much_ better ways to spend the morning than going to that damned clinic again," she reached out and caressed Abbie's breast through her shirt.

Abbie swatted her hand away. "Do you _want_ to get pregnant?" she fixed her lover with an icy glare.

"Yeah, yeah. But we've been three times already. I'm either pregnant or I'm not."

"CW, you were the one that wanted to do this. You said you'd like to have the experience of carrying our child. And, as _you_ pointed out, we don't have all that much time to play with. You're already considered an 'elderly mother'."

Caryn screwed up her face. "That's such an awful expression. I'm 39, not 79, for Christ's sake."

"But it's not like we can do this every month," Abbie sat next to her on the bed and took her hand. She realized that, through all the protestations, Caryn was rattled. She did not enjoy the experience at the clinic, and it made her tense and snappy.

"We could if Jeff would come to New York, and store some of his little swimmers at a clinic there," Caryn said.

Abbie nodded. "Maybe we can ask him to do that. We're already booked in here in March again. How about, if it doesn't work that time, we'll ask him to do just that?"

Caryn nodded. She reached for Abbie's hand. "Okay," she said, quietly. "When do we have to be at the clinic?"

"11am."

"So that gives us time...," she slid a warm hand up Abbie's leg.

"No," Abbie tried to be gentle. "You know you should … come … after the insemination. To improve our chances. So," she kissed her deeply. "If you're a little … revved up … before we go in there, that can only be a good thing, don't you think? We can make love as much as you want afterwards, I promise," she spotted the glum look on Caryn's face. "Hey, I want to too, you know. It's killing me, looking at these," she ghosted a finger across Caryn's nipple that protruded through her silk pajama top, "and knowing that we've gotta wait. But," she tweaked the taut bud teasingly, "it'll be worth the wait. I promise you that."

"It had damned well better be," Caryn muttered. She got out of bed and made her way to the bathroom.

"No … _long_ … showers either," Abbie called through the door, laughing as Caryn flung a towel at her.

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Sarah heard a familiar sound. She nudged her sleeping wife, as she looked at her watch. 3.05pm. "It's the computer," she said to Jay as she looked blearily at her. "Remember? We told Lily we'd talk to her over Skype this afternoon! Damn," she leapt out of bed, looking for her robe. She found it on the back of the door, and slipped it on, tying it tight at the waist. She sprinted into the living room, and sat herself in front of the computer.

Alex's face greeted her on the screen, and Sarah blushed when Alex laughed. "I decided it was best if I spoke to you first," Alex said with a wide grin. "I suspected you and Jay might be enjoying a little afternoon delight," she said, her smile growing as she saw a dishevelled Jay appear in the background.

Sarah was about to protest, when Jay smiled and approached her from behind, wrapping an arm around her. She blew a kiss to Alex. "Sounds to me like somebody's jealous!" she grinned. "Hey, there are advantages to an empty apartment. We're just making the most of the festive season!"

By this point, Sarah was bright red with embarrassment, which only made Alex laugh more. "Give me five minutes to get dressed. I'll call you back," she said, clicking the 'disconnect' button before Alex had a chance to protest. "God, that was embarrassing," she said, standing up from her chair. She felt Jay grab her hand. "No, Jay, we've gotta get dressed, I need to ..."

Jay pulled her to her. She kissed her deeply, slipping her tongue into her wife's mouth, reveling in the soft sensation. "There's no hurry," she said, as she fumbled with the belt of her robe.

Sarah sagged, unable to resist Jay's touch. Then she pulled back. "God, how come you can always do that to me?" her breathing was a little uneven. "Soon," she promised. "Now get dressed. Or do you want to be the one to corrupt a four-year-old?"

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**New Year's Eve**

Casey Novak felt relief wash over her as she shut the door to the apartment, and immediately felt guilty for feeling that way. She had just dropped her boyfriend at the airport, and he was going to be away for ten days. She knew he was trying hard to be as normal as he could, but sometimes, even with the medication, living with his bipolar disease was exhausting. But he had been taking his meds responsibly for almost six months now, so it had become easier. Even so, there were moments when she was almost afraid of him.

So now, she had a glorious ten days all to herself. She wouldn't have to worry if the towels in the bathroom weren't straight, or if she was wearing a top that he considered too revealing. She would also not feel obliged always to accede to his requests for sex. He had certainly never forced her, but there were times when she wasn't in the mood, but had agreed because she dreaded dealing with his reaction if she said no. He always took it personally, always deemed it an affront to his masculinity.

Tonight, Casey was going round to Alex Cabot's apartment. They were about to start working together, so she had been touched when Alex had invited her to join her family. "It won't be anything fancy, it's just a few of us – and my sister, and niece and her wife are joining us. We're also hoping that my niece's wife will bring her father and his girlfriend. But that's it. Apart from Wheels. You're gonna love Wheels," she smiled.

Casey was glad of the chance to get to know her co-worker better, as well as Olivia. A good relationship with one of the squad's detectives could only make life easier. And Charlie didn't much like it when she socialized without him, so this was the perfect opportunity. She would phone him at midnight, and tell him that she had been invited at the last minute. By the time he came home, he would be so full of what he had been doing that he would forget her minor indiscretion.

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"Here's to 2008!" Olivia held her drink aloft as they watched the ball drop in Times Square on their television.

Alex hugged her wife from behind, burying her face in her neck. "It's going to be a great year," she slid her hand to stroke Olivia's flat stomach.

Olivia turned to face her. She took her face in her hands, and kissed her very tenderly. "I may not be able to get pregnant," she reminded her gently.

"I know. It's still going to be a good year," Alex said. "We're already so lucky," she looked around her at the people they loved. She kissed her again. "My beautiful wife. I love you so much."


	2. Chapter 2

**[I'm so, so sorry! I imagined I'd have lots of time over Christmas to write but, somehow, when you have time off, you have even less spare time than usual! So my sincere apologies for keeping you waiting. I hope to get into a more regular writing schedule from now on. And a very happy 2014 to everyone!]**

Casey's heart sank at the sight of her boyfriend Charlie at the airport. He had not shaved that morning – not for a few days, by the look of it. Casey didn't mind the facial hair so much, but more what it represented. Whenever Charlie decided to come off his meds, he stopped shaving a few days later and, more often than not, would start ranting about his refusal to conform to "random ideals imposed by society". She hoped beyond hope that, this time, he had just decided to grow a beard, but as she got close to him she saw the familiar look in his eyes, and she just knew.

She allowed him to hug her tight, though she pulled back when he tried to kiss her roughly. "Not in public, honey," she said, trying not to notice the angry look in his eyes.

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"I'm sorry," Casey spoke as evenly as she could. "I missed you too, baby. I just … not at the airport. You know how I feel about making out in public. I don't want to share you with everyone else," she tried to appease him with a small smile.

"So," he pulled a bottle of vodka out of his bag, and poured himself a generous measure.

Casey tried not to react. She knew how volatile he could be when he drank. That was why they didn't keep any alcohol in the apartment.

"So," his voice turned nasty. "You've started working with that dyke, then?"

"She's a good person," Casey spoke quietly. She didn't want to argue with him, but she couldn't bear for him to talk about her colleague – and friend – in such a disrespectful manner. Ever since she had admitted to him that she herself had had one relationship with a woman in college, he had taken every opportunity to make unkind remarks about gay people, male or female.

"Does she have nice titties? She looks like she has nice titties," he was starting to slur. Clearly he had had a lot to drink on the flight.

"You've never met her," Casey was starting to panic.

"That's because you didn't want me to."

"That's not true. I asked you to come to her 'welcome back' dinner at the restaurant, so I could introduce you to her and her wife. You refused," Casey didn't add that he had also prevented her from going on her own.

"I saw her, though. Coming out of your office building. She's that blonde one, right? You went to lunch with her on the Thursday before Christmas."

"You were spying on me?" Casey felt sick. Charlie had still been on his meds before Christmas – she saw him taking them every day. But still he had followed her.

"I just wanted to see what was so attractive about her, that you have to talk about her all the time. So are you?"

"Am I what?"

"Are you sleeping with her?"

"Oh for Chrissakes, Charlie. Of course I'm not. We're colleagues, and friends. And she's married, she has two kids. I have never cheated on you Charlie. Never. You know that."

"All I know is that you won't sleep with me."

"I'm on my period," Casey said quietly. "You know that's true. I'm not trying to avoid you," she tried to persuade herself that the latter part of her statement was true, even though in her heart she knew it wasn't. She was relieved. She just hoped against hope that, in three days' time, he would have pulled himself together.

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"It was dumb to imagine it was ever going to happen," Caryn said angrily, as the flung the pregnancy testing stick across the room. "Let's just forget it."

"Because you didn't get pregnant first time? It's not like you to give up so easily," Abbie tried to keep her voice even. She knew that Caryn hated to fail at anything. She also knew that, despite the odds, Caryn had, in her heart, expected to fall pregnant immediately.

"That's easy for you to say. You just had to fuck him a few times, and hey presto! You didn't even know you were pregnant," Caryn hated herself for her bitter words. She knew it wasn't fair of her to throw Abbie's brief relationship with the father of their child back in her face. She was the one who had rejected Abbie, because she had been so scared of commitment. She looked into Abbie's face, fearful of her reaction to her hateful behavior.

Abbie just gave a small smile. She took Caryn by the hand and led her to the couch. "Sit," she said. "No," she put a finger to Caryn's lips. "No talking. For once in your life, just listen. Just for a moment. You can get back to being an asshole in a moment," she tempered her words with a smile. She reached out and touched Caryn's soft cheek. "I know," she said softly. "I know how much you wanted this. And I know how you hate it when you don't get what you want right away. But it takes most people a while – even straight couples!"

"I really wanted to give you another child," Caryn's voice was small.

"And you still could. If you want to. We can try again. There's a real good chance it'll work. But," Abbie looked closely at her. "There's also a chance it won't. So, if you don't wanna do this, that's fine by me. I can always try to have our second child. And that might not work either. But we're gonna do what you want to do. I'm happy, CW. I didn't know I could be this happy. But I have you, and I have Daniel. Anything else is gravy. I don't want you to feel under any pressure. So you just tell me what you wanna do, and we'll do it."

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Caryn sounded almost suspicious. "Why aren't you arguing? We _always_ argue about stuff."

"We only argue for the great make-up sex," Abbie teased. "I'm serious, though, babe. This time, it's your decision. We can give up. We can try again. We can do whatever it is you want."

"I wanna baby," Caryn knew she sounded like a sulky child.

"So we go back to Washington in March?"

Caryn nodded. "I'm behaving like an asshole, aren't I?"

"Just a little bit," Abbie grinned. "Hey, does this mean I've been the mature, sensible one this time?"

"Screw you," Caryn replied tartly.

Abbie raised an eyebrow. "If that's what you want," she said, her already deep voice getting even deeper.

"Really? Now? _That's_ what you want?"

"Well, you were the one trying to engineer an argument," Abbie said, as she placed one hand on Caryn's jean-clad thigh. "I'm just saving us time by suggesting we head straight to the make-up sex," her other hand sought out the button on Caryn's jeans and popped it open expertly.

Caryn grinned. "Well, I do like your efficient use of time, Counselor," she teased. "Are you sure you'll be able to bring this case to a satisfactory conclusion?" she squeaked as she felt Abbie's invading hand.

"I have every confidence that we will both be pleased with the outcome of these proceedings," Abbie's eyes were dark with lust.

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Lily was unusually quiet in the car. As Olivia helped her out of the back seat outside the kindergarten, Lily looked up at her, her eyes wide, and unaccustomed nervousness in her expression. "Will I like it here, Mama?"

Olivia knelt at her level, and touched her cheek softly. "You're going to have a great time here, Lily. It's quite natural to be a little nervous when you go in for the first time, but you are going to make so many friends here. You'll be real happy, I promise you. And we're gonna come in with you," she smiled at Alex who was just locking up the car. "To start with."

Alex knelt down too. "We won't leave until you're happy for us to go, I swear," she said firmly. "And we'll be back later too, to pick you up when you've done for the day. And," she smiled, "someone special is going to be here too. You wanna guess who that is?"

"Grandma Wheels!" Lily squealed with excitement. Their elderly friend had been very busy in the past couple of weeks, setting up her new apartment.

"That's right, baby girl," Alex said. She straightened up, and held out her hand. "So, we ready to go?" she asked Lily.

Lily nodded firmly, and grasped her mother's hand. She held out her other hand to Olivia. "I'm going to school," she sounded a little awestruck.

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Jay picked up the phone, smiling as she saw Sarah's name on the screen. "Hey, Hot Stuff," she teased. "Are you having fun with your test tubes?"

Sarah laughed. "I just wondered if you had heard from Alex and Olivia? I wanted to know how Lily got on this morning."

Jay laughed gently. "They've just left. Apparently Lily was fine, and she settled right in. _Alex_, on the other hand, is a mess. You'd think nobody's kid had ever started school before."

"You'll be like that," Sarah predicted. "When we drop off our child on their first day."

"Yeah," Jay agreed, dreamily. "I think you're right about that. So, Mrs Kazinsky, what time do you think you'll be home tonight?"

"Why?" Sarah teased. "You wanna make sure you have time to hide your secret lover before your wife gets back?"

"Exactly that," Jay deadpanned. "Plus, I want to take my wife out. I thought maybe we could get some dinner, and then go to the club? We haven't been dancing together for so long, and I was hoping, if I bought you an expensive dinner, I could maybe persuade you to wear that green dress?"

"I'll leave at 5pm," Sarah promised. "I can't think of anything nicer than an evening out with my lady."

"Not even a night _in_ together, after our evening out?" Jay's tone was sultry.

Sarah's mouth went dry. "You're on, Officer," she said, her nipples tightening just at the thought.

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"You were right, Liv," Alex spoke softly as she held the sleepy puppy. "He is just _so_ cute. Lily's going to love him," she toyed with the dog's silky ears. He was completely grey, and he had the most enormous eyes and ears. "I can barely wait until it's her birthday and we can take him home. Keeping him a secret's going to be so hard!"

Olivia smiled. "Well Maisie's not going to say anything, are you baby girl?" she held out their youngest daughter to meet the puppy, smiling as Maisie reached out a clumsy hand and giggled as the affectionate creature licked it. "We're going to keep this a secret, aren't we?"

Maisie was delighted with the puppy. She looked up at Olivia with a wide grin on her face.

"You hold him Liv," Alex passed the puppy over with one hand, as she claimed Maisie with the other, hauling the child onto her knee.

Maisie smiled at her mother. "Muh!" she cried as she grabbed Alex's shirt in her chubby fist. "Muh-muh."

Alex looked at Olivia, and saw that she was equally thrilled to hear Maisie's attempt at her first word. "That's right, baby girl," she said to Maisie. "I'm your Mommy. And that, over there," she pointed at Olivia, "is your Mama."

Maisie smiled. "Muh-muh," she said again, with some pride at her mothers' evident delight. "Muh-muh."

Olivia looked at Alex, smiling at the tears running down her face. "Sap," she said quietly.

Alex nodded. "It's a day of firsts. If I wanna cry, I'm gonna cry."

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Wheels stood at the door of the kindergarten, looking through the glass, watching the children as they all ran around, collecting their coats, making sure they had everything. Her throat constricted. She had thought she would never get over the loss of her beloved May – and there were still moments when the pain just seemed too much. But now, at least, she knew that there were some things that made life worth living – her friends, and now her 'grandchildren'. Lily and Maisie meant the world to her and, while life was nothing like it had once been, now it was bearable. And there were moments of pure joy, that she wouldn't swap for anything. Just then, Lily looked up at her, and her face broke into a wide smile. Moments like that, Wheels realized, were worth everything. She smiled back, and lifted her hand in a small wave.

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Jay rolled off her sweat-slicked wife, a broad smile on her face.

Sarah was still gasping as she turned to Jay. "_You_," she panted. "You are … somethin' else. Sometimes I wish we weren't married, just so's I could ask you to marry me again. That," her breathing was starting to even out, "was incredible."

Jay gathered her gently into her arms. She kissed her very softly. "It was, wasn't it?" she said.


	3. Chapter 3

Sarah squeezed Jay's hand. "I can't wait to see her face," she whispered. She had just handed Olivia a large, loosely gift-wrapped box, and Olivia was carrying it carefully to Lily.

"This is an extra-special birthday gift," Olivia said to Lily. "If you sit there real quietly, I'll put it next to you on the couch. But you gotta be real careful opening it, and real quiet."

Lily had no idea what to expect, so she did what her Mama told her. Very carefully, and barely breathing to make sure she kept quiet, she lifted the lid off the box. She gasped when she saw the wriggly puppy inside. She looked up at Olivia, and then over at Alex. She looked back in the box. "Is he for me?" she asked, awestruck.

"He is, angel," Alex blinked away her tears. "He's your doggie now." She sat on the other side of the box on the couch. "Want me to pass him to you?"

Lily nodded, lost for words. Gently, Alex lifted the pup from the box, smiling as he wriggled and tried to lick her face. "Here you go," she lowered him into Lily's lap.

"Can I touch him?"

"Of course you can, baby," Olivia told her. "Just remember that he's little, and you'll be fine."

Lily stroked the dog's head, and giggled as he turned and licked her enthusiastically. He squirmed excitedly in her lap, eventually rolling on to his back to demand a tummy tickle. Lily's face radiated joy. "What's his name?" she asked.

"He doesn't have one yet," Olivia said. "We thought maybe you'd like to name him. Do you have any ideas?"

"I wanna call him Wiggle!" Lily declared. "'cos he's all wiggly."

Alex laughed. "Well, I think that's a great name. What do you think, Grandma Wheels?" she turned to their elderly friend.

"It's perfect," Wheels beamed. She knelt by the couch, and stroked him gently. "You're a very lucky puppy," she said. She straightened up, and laughed. "My knees are too old for that," she grinned. She looked around her, and her heart filled. On days like this, she felt May's absence even more acutely than usual. But she also realized that she still had a lot to live for. The room was filled with Alex and Olivia's friends – her friends too, now. She watched Joe and Vanessa fuss over Lily on her birthday, and smiled. She looked over to one of the armchairs, and she saw Casey holding baby Maisie, who was just about asleep. Casey rocked her gently, whispering quietly to her.

Wheels looked more closely. Casey seemed tense, and the smile that she was wearing didn't quite reach her eyes. In the large gathering, she seemed a little apart, as if she didn't feel confident enough to join in fully. More than once, she had glanced at her watch.

Wheels approached Casey, and perched on the side of the armchair, reaching out to ghost her fingers over Maisie's blonde hair. Casey looked up and smiled at her. "She's so special," Casey said. "So fresh, and innocent."

Wheels nodded agreement. "They're both special little girls. And they both adore _you_," she smiled. "Lily loves it when you come to the park with them, or if you see them there."

Casey gave a small, sad smile. "I love kids," she said, quietly.

"D'you think you'll have your own?" Wheels sensed she half-wanted to talk.

Casey shook her head. "Charlie has a lot of problems. They could be hereditary. And … well, it wouldn't be fair on a kid. Well, would you look at that?" she changed the subject, as she gestured to the nine-month-old baby in her arms. "Somebody's gone to sleep." She got carefully out of her chair. "I should probably put her down for a nap, d'you think?"

Wheels nodded. "Her bedroom's over here, let me show you."

Wheels stood back as Casey lowered the slumbering child into her crib. She was watching her carefully, so she didn't miss the small wince that Casey gave as she caught her ribs against the side of the crib. Casey quickly masked her pain. "Is she okay like this?" she asked.

"That's perfect," Wheels said, as she peered over. "Any moment now, she'll move from her back and settle on her side. There she goes," she smiled. "However you put her down, that's how she ends up. And she loves it if you rub her back a little, that's it, just like that," she nodded approvingly at Casey's actions. Casey should definitely have children of her own one day, Wheels decided. She had a natural touch.

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"Grandma Wheels, come look at Wiggle!" Lily ran up to her, giggling. "He's done a tinkle all over Mommy!"

Alex was looking distinctly unimpressed, as she tried to pull her wet shirt away from her body. Olivia was holding the small puppy, and was almost helpless with laughter at the expression on her wife's face.

"He didn't mean it," Olivia gasped out.

"And that's supposed to help me _how_?" Alex's tone was icy. "I'll leave you to soak the cushion cover while I shower," as she stalked away, she winked surreptitiously at Lily, so that she knew that she wasn't really angry. "And you're booking those obedience classes first thing tomorrow," Alex called over her shoulder as she opened the bedroom door with a flourish.

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Olivia spent the next 20 minutes setting up the pen in the laundry room, where they had agreed that Wiggle would spend any unsupervised time, so that accidents could be easily mopped up from the linoleum floor. Lily brought the puppy to watch the preparations taking place, and as soon as everything was firmly in place she started putting Wiggle's toys, blanket and water bowl in place inside. "He won't have to spend all his time in here, will he Mama?" Lily was concerned.

"No, baby girl. We just need somewhere to put him when we're real busy, so that we know he's safe when we can't be with him."

"Like when we're having dinner?"

"Exactly that. But I expect he's going to be spending nearly all of his time with us. But, since he's not quite house-trained yet, and we don't know where he's gonna tinkle, I think maybe we should always have a towel under him when we're holding him, don't you?"

Lily nodded solemnly. "I don't think Mommy's really cross," she whispered to Olivia.

Olivia laughed. "I don't think she is either. I think she was just trying to make us laugh."

"I resent that," a grinning Alex said from the doorway. She was dressed in clean jeans and a loose, white shirt. "I'll have you know, I am _incandescent_ with rage!" she took the puppy gently from Lily, held him close to her face, and addressed him in a serious tone. "You should know, Wiggle Benson, that having a whizz on one of the city's most highly respected ADAs is a very serious offence."

Lily giggled.

"Silence in the court, please," Alex kept a poker face.

Lily giggled again.

"So, Wiggle. I would like to know if you intend to offer any defense, or should we move straight on to sentencing?"

Olivia could have sworn that Wiggle grinned as he stuck out his tongue and licked Alex on the tip of her nose.

"I see. Well, in that case, you're forgiven. I can offer you a full pardon," Alex hugged him to her.

Lily grabbed a towel from the pile on the chair. "Mama says we should hold him with a towel, just 'til he learns not to tinkle on us," she advised sagely.

Alex took the towel, and slid it under the dog. "I think that is an excellent idea, Lily. Hey, this looks good," she gestured to the pen. "We can maybe sit in here with him from time to time, so he gets used to it and won't be sad if we sometimes have to leave him in here," she stepped over the wooden side, and sat herself in the middle of the pen.

Olivia lifted Lily over the side so that she could join them. "I'll bring you a glass of wine," she winked at Alex.

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There was much hugging and laughter as the party dissipated early evening. Wheels watched Casey closely as she hugged Alex, noting that she was being careful of her side. "I'll walk you to your car," she said quietly.

"It's okay, I'm catching a cab," Casey said.

"I'll wait with you," Wheels was firm. She didn't want to embarrass Casey in front of her friends, but she did want just a moment alone with her. As they left the building, Wheels touched Casey's arm. "It's none of my business, I know," she said softly. "And I'm guessing you know better than most where to go to get help if you need it. But," she passed her a piece of paper. "This is my address, and it has my home number as well as my cell on it."

Casey opened her mouth to object.

"Don't," Wheels said gently. "You don't have to say anything. I just want you to know that I'm here for you, any time of the day or night. I have an empty guest room, and I won't ask questions. If you need me, call me."

"I won't need you," Casey muttered, her face white.

"Then it's all good," Wheels said brightly. "And look, there's a cab."

Casey opened the cab door. She turned back to face Wheels. "Why are you doing this?" she asked, her voice little more than a whisper.

"Because my granddaughters adore you. And I happen to think they are right. You're a special person, Casey Novak. Never forget that."

Casey reached out and touched her hand briefly. "Thank you," she said softly, and climbed into the cab.

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"So our baby's five," Alex turned and looked at Olivia as she snuggled under the covers that night.

Olivia nodded. She reached out to touch Alex's face gently, and smiled. She kissed her softly. "It was a great day, wasn't it? Did you see Caryn, trying to ride Lily's bike?"

Alex grinned. She picked her cellphone up from the nightstand, waving it. "See it? I got video! I'll bet Petrovsky would love to see this!"

"You wouldn't?" Olivia laughed.

"You're right. I wouldn't. But Caryn doesn't have to know that," Alex chuckled.

"You, Counselor Benson, are a very wicked woman," Olivia kissed her again.

Alex nodded. "You want me to show you just how wicked I can be?" she was already unbuttoning Olivia's pajama top.

Olivia's mouth went dry. "Oh yeah," she said. "Oh God yes."


	4. Chapter 4

"Hey baby girl," Alex smiled as she collected Lily from pre-school.

"Mommy! Did you finish early today? Mama said Auntie Carolyn was gonna come get me today."

Alex knelt and buttoned up her daughter's coat. "One of my cases has been postponed, so I decided to sneak out and come see you. Did you have a good day?"

Lily nodded. "Elsa helped me to color in my picture. I've got it here," she held up her bag. "D'you wanna see it?"

"I do, very much. Leave it in there now, we don't want it to get wet, it's started snowing outside. You can show it to me when we get home. Shall we go pick up Maisie and Wiggle from Jay now?"

Lily nodded excitedly. It had been almost two weeks since she had been given the dog, and she loved to spend time with him.

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Jay answered the door, Maisie in her arms. She loved that her job meant that she got to spend so much time with Alex and Olivia's children. Maisie was the most delightful child. She was similar in some ways to Lily, but completely different in others. She was quieter, more pensive but, like Lily – and both Olivia and Alex – she had a keen sense of humor, and always enjoyed any outing or activity that was on offer.

Jay smiled as she ushered Alex and Lily into the apartment. "Snowing, huh?" she laughed, as she brushed some flakes off Alex's shoulder.

"Mommy says it's too wet to make a snowman," Lily looked sad.

"Oh I'm sure we'll get a chance before the snow season is over," Jay told her. "Won't we Maisie?" she passed the smiling child over to Alex, who took her and held her close.

"Wiggle!" Lily cried, as the young dog came scampering into the hallway, wagging his tail wildly. She picked him up and was just settling him in her arms when Alex called "towel!".

Jay smiled, and passed the old towel from the back of the armchair to Lily, who slid it under the dog. "He's been real good today," she said. "Just one little accident in the kitchen, and that was my fault for not taking him out right after lunch. But he's been such a good boy," she fondled his ears.

"You look tired," Alex peered into Jay's face. "Are you okay?"

Jay smiled. "I'm fine. Didn't sleep too well, is all."

"Missing Sarah, I'll bet?" Alex was sympathetic. She hated it whenever she and Olivia were separated. This was the first time that Jay and Sarah had spent more than a night or two apart since they had gotten together. "How long is it now?"

"She'll be back Friday evening," Jay was morose. "Two more nights. The worst is that I'm not working until Monday, so it seems even longer without her."

"The conference is in Pittsburgh, right?" Alex asked, her brain whirring.

"Hmm," Jay agreed grumpily.

Alex grinned, and passed Maisie back to Jay. She got out her laptop. A few minutes later, she looked up at a confused Jay and smiled again. "So what's stopping you going out to join her? According to this," she pointed at the screen, "there's a flight leaving JFK at 7.30pm, lands just after 9pm. You can explore the city tomorrow while she's at the conference, but at least you'll be in the same city. And I'm betting she'll be thrilled to see you."

Jay looked at her watch.

"You have plenty of time. You go and pack, I'll book the flight and then we'll take you to the airport. I'll even buy you a cup of coffee when we get to the airport while you wait for the flight."

"What about the girls?" Jay could barely think straight.

"They'll come with us. Though we should probably drop Wiggle off with Rosie on our way. Hey, Lily," Alex called over to her elder daughter. "Wanna come to the airport with us? Jay's going to go get Sarah and bring her back."

Lily's face split into a huge grin. She loved the airport. "Can we watch the planes?"

"Sure we can," Alex smiled as she sat back contentedly. "Well, go pack!" she instructed Jay.

"Am I really doing this?" Jay started to realize what was happening.

"You are," Alex instructed. "Now get your bony ass in that bedroom and pack a bag!"

Jay smiled. She dropped a quick kiss on Alex's cheek. "You're a genius," she said.

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"We'll see you in a few days," Alex smiled as she hugged Jay goodbye in the airport lounge.

Jay had a sudden thought. "What about Maisie?" she looked at the baby in her stroller. "She's supposed to be spending tomorrow with me, Wiggle too," she remembered.

"I'll fix something up," Alex said. "We can make it work. Lily, come give Jay-Jay a hug."

Lily wrapped her arms round Jay's legs. "Bye, Jay-Jay," she said.

Jay knelt at her level, and gave her a proper hug. "We'll both come and see you when we get back, is that okay?"

Lily nodded and smiled.

Jay touched Maisie's head affectionately. "You too, sprout," she said. "You be good for your Mommy and your Mama."

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Sarah sat in the corner chair in her hotel room. She had had dinner with her boss, who she liked very much. But, much as Eleanor was pleasant company, it had now been four days since she had seen her wife. She desperately wanted to see Jay's face, and had hoped that they would be able to Skype that night but, for some reason, Jay wasn't picking up her phone.

Sarah wasn't overly worried. She knew that Jay could have been called in to work, or her phone could have run out of battery, or she could be out, maybe visiting with Alex and Olivia. She hoped she was out having fun. She deserved to enjoy herself and Sarah knew that she hated their separation as much as she did. Sarah always knew from the tone of Jay's voice how she was feeling, and she had been tense the previous evening, even though she had denied it. She looked at her watch. In 48 hours, Jay would be in her arms.

Sarah was tempted to help herself to a drink from the minibar, not because she particularly wanted something to drink, but because it would help pass the time. But she knew that minibar prices were ridiculous – plus she didn't really like drinking alone. She picked up her book, but found she couldn't concentrate. She looked glumly at her phone. 9.46pm. The phone seemed to be taunting her with the early hour – she was 26 years old, she reminded herself. She couldn't possibly go to bed yet. She peered at the phone again, pissed that there was no message from her wife.

She was just about to try Jay's number again, when she heard a tap on the door. She looked around the room for her robe, embarrassed by already being in her pajamas so early. She hoped it was just the maid, she didn't want her boss to catch her in her nightclothes. "Coming," she called.

She shrugged on her robe, and peered through the peephole in the door, and saw her grinning wife. She flung the door open, enveloping Jay in a huge hug.

Jay was relieved to have found Sarah in her room; she could easily have been out socializing with the others. She hugged her tight, reveling in Sarah's warm presence.

Neither of them spoke for over a minute, just holding tight to each other. Eventually, Jay pulled back a little, and tenderly tucked a strand of blonde hair behind Sarah's ear. "You gonna invite me in then?" she asked teasingly.

Sarah laughed, and pulled Jay into the room, shutting the door. She kissed her deeply, finding herself unaccountably emotional at the sight of her wife. "So whatcha doing here?" she asked when they finally broke apart.

Jay shrugged. "Got lonely," she admitted. "Alex got fed up with my bitching, so she put me on a plane," she smiled. "Let me look at you." She touched her cheek very softly. "So why aren't you out, drinking with all the guys?"

"I got lonely too," Sarah said.

"So you decided to be alone?" Jay teased.

Sarah nodded. "It was less lonely that way. God, Jay, it's so good to see you. Have you eaten?"

Jay screwed up her face. "I had something on the plane. Just don't ask me to tell you what it was."

Sarah laughed. She saw the bags beneath Jays eyes, but didn't say anything. She knew that her wife sometimes had trouble sleeping. "I've been trying to call you. I was so disappointed when you didn't answer. I just wanted to see your face on Skype. And now," she smiled, "now here you are. In the flesh. So, Mrs Kazinsky, I know you need to sleep. But," she toyed with her top button on her shirt, "are you in the mood for anything else first?"

Jay's mouth went dry. "Oh God yes. Yes please. I've been dreaming about you."

"Naughty dreams, I hope?" Sarah's voice dropped, as she helped Jay out of her jacket. She dropped it over the back of the chair.

Jay nodded, seemingly stunned into silence. "I should shower," she said eventually, trying not to let her voice shake. "Those planes, I never feel clean when I get off a plane."

"Want some company?"

Jay nodded, her eyes widening as Sarah un-self-consciously took off her robe, followed by her pajamas. Sarah took Jay's hand and pulled it to her own breast. "C'mon then," she smiled, and led her to the bathroom.

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It was nearly 3am when Olivia finally slid into bed next to Alex that night. She was trying not to disturb her, but a big part of her was delighted when he wife turned and wrapped her in her arms.

"You're all cold," Alex whispered.

"It's snowing out," Olivia said softly. "Go to sleep, baby, I'm sorry to wake you."

Alex opened her eyes and looked at her carefully. "Rough day?"

Olivia nodded.

"Wanna talk?"

"Not really," Olivia's chin quivered.

"Another time?"

"Yeah," Olivia said, gratefully. She remembered the earlier text exchange with Alex. "Jay get off alright?" she smiled at the thought of Alex playing Cupid with their favorite niece.

"Yeah," Alex kissed her softly. "And Wheels is going to take Wiggle after her art class tomorrow. So," she laughed, "Maisie is gonna go to daycare tomorrow, and Wiggle's going to spend a couple of hours in the office with me. No," she said before Olivia could get a word in. "It's okay. Liz isn't in until after lunch, and Casey's going to sit with him if I have to step out of the office. It's fine."

Olivia laughed. "I wouldn't want to be in your shoes when Liz finds out. And she _will_ find out, you know what office gossip is like."

Alex smiled, and shrugged. "She'll meet him one day, then she'll fall in love with him too."

"You'd better hope she does," Olivia yawned and snuggled up to Alex.

"What time do you have to be in, in the morning?"

"8.30am," Olivia was hoping Alex wouldn't scold her for working too hard.

Alex nodded. She had heard some of the details about the case Olivia was working on, and she knew her wife wouldn't rest until the perpetrator was caught. She tightened her grip on her, and kissed her on the top of her head. "Sleep now," she said softly.

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Casey skidded round Alex's office door, a panicked look on her face. "Donnelly!" she hissed.

Alex paled and looked at her watch. It wasn't yet 10am. "She's not due in until after lunch!" She looked round vainly, to see if there was somewhere she could hide Wiggle.

Liz Donnelly strode into the office, an amused smile on her face. She looked down at the dog bed, and saw the happy puppy look up at her. "So," she said drily. "This must be the new intern," she watched Alex's face with amusement. She knelt at the dog's bed. "I don't know what you're smiling at, Wiggle Benson," she fondled his ears. "I suppose you're wondering how I knew you were in here? Well, luckily for you, _and_ for ADA Benson," she fixed Alex with a mock glare, "I happen to be a big dog lover. And I'm betting you wanna come with me and have a look around. So," she lifted the silky puppy into her arms, "let's show you what life is like in a nice _big_ office. You don't want to be stuck in this poky little place all day."

"He's being picked up in an hour," Alex said, weakly, relieved that she wasn't getting an ass-chewing.

Donnelly nodded, as she headed for the door.

"Liz?" Alex called, her voice more nervous than Casey had ever heard. She held out Wiggle's towel. "You might want to … under him. Just in case. He's nearly trained, but sometimes ..."

Donnelly laughed, as she slid the towel under the dog. "Not exactly a guard dog, is he?" she said, as the puppy tried to lick her face.

"He likes you," Alex laughed, tension draining away.

"Let's hope he doesn't like any intruders you may get, unless you're planning for him to lick them into submission," Donnelly said. "I'll bring him back soon, once we've gotten to know each other a little," she called over her shoulder as she walked out.

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Casey was rifling through a file as she walked up the corridor, so she didn't notice Wheels until she almost bumped into her. "I'm so sorry," she said, with a smile. "I wasn't paying attention."

Wheels looked closely at Casey, pleased to see her looking well and happy. She smiled warmly at her. "I'm here to collect the bloodhound," she said teasingly.

"Alex has just taken him out for a pee," Casey said. "She'll be back soon. Come and wait for them in her office. It's nicer than mine, mine's not much more than a closet!" she smiled, leading Wheels to the office and settling her in a chair. "Coffee?"

Wheels nodded. "That would be great. As long as I'm not disturbing you?"

"Not at all. I need to wait for Alex too. It's so good to see you," Casey touched Wheels arm. "I haven't seen you for ages, and I wanted to thank you for being so kind to me last time we met."

Wheels accepted the cup of coffee gratefully, and took a deep draught. "How are you?" she asked in a kindly tone.

"Things are good," Casey said. "Truly. Charlie went back on his meds, and he's been real sweet to me recently. He's a good man. It's just when things aren't good, he doesn't cope too well. But he's promised me he'll keep taking his medication."

Wheels nodded. "I'm so pleased. Just remember we're all here for you, huh?"

Casey nodded.

Alex carried Wiggle into the office. As soon as he spotted Wheels, he struggled to escape Alex's arms. Alex dropped the towel and the puppy into her lap. "You're hot favorite," she smiled, as Wiggle squirmed excitedly in Wheels lap, trying to lick her face.

Wheels smiled. "We just need to get him out of here before your boss catches him," she said.

Casey laughed. "Oh it's too late for that," she said.

"Rumbled?" Wheels asked, with a grin.

"Well and truly," Alex said. "I should have known better than to think I could hide anything from our esteemed bureau chief," she laughed.

"Indeed you should," Liz stuck her head round the door.

Alex stood open-mouthed as Donnelly strode off down the corridor. Wheels laughed. "I think I'd better get this fella out of here, before he causes any more trouble," she said.


	5. Chapter 5

**[Just a quick update. MANY thanks for the kind reviews, they mean the world to me.;)]**

"We should go," Robyn said as she stood up. "This has been fun. And the food," she smiled at Vanessa who was walking past one of the tables in the coffee shop, "was wonderful, as always!"

"Good save," Vanessa gave her trademark cheeky grin. "Or Joe would have been round to your place demanding answers."

"V, leave the poor girls alone," Joe shouted from the kitchen.

Amy and Robyn headed out, leaving Alex, Olivia, their daughters and Jay and Sarah still chatting away.

"Can I go check on Wiggle?" Lily asked. Vanessa had settled Wiggle in the tiny apartment above the coffee shop that they never used now that Vanessa had moved in with Joe.

"I'll take you," Vanessa offered. "Does Maisie want to come too?" she addressed the smiley baby who was sitting in Olivia's lap, her face smeared with food. "Maybe we can hose you down a little too, pumpkin?" she held out her arms to Maisie.

"Nessa!" Maisie called, putting her own arms out and waiting to be picked up.

Happily, Olivia lifted Maisie and passed her to Vanessa. "Thanks," she smiled. "There may be a … diaper issue … too."

Vanessa laughed. "It's a good thing we have everything we need upstairs, then, isn't it young'un?"

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"Amy was very quiet," Alex mused. "And Robyn seemed kind of tense. I know she has a sore hand, but it seemed more than that, somehow."

"I think it was to do with her hand, though," Sarah said quietly. "She hates it when Robyn gets hurt on the job. I think they had a fight about it. They barely looked at each other, did anyone else notice that?"

Sarah had been watching Amy and Robyn closely throughout lunch. She knew that Amy had had the phone call they all dreaded, from one of the rookies at the fire station. And that rookie hadn't learned the golden rule of the notification call – whenever possible, always find out as much as you can about the hurt officer's condition and, if appropriate, let the contact know that they were going to be alright. But all Amy had heard was that Robyn was in the hospital, and nobody could tell her how badly she was hurt.

All the worst-case scenarios had gone through Amy's mind as she rushed to the hospital, so when she had found out that Robyn had suffered a dislocated thumb and two broken fingers, she had exploded with fury, taking out all her pent-up anxiety and terror on her girlfriend. Since then, they had patched things up, but it was still tense between them.

"I think maybe Amy was a little hard on Robyn," Olivia said gently.

Alex looked away. She didn't want to be part of the conversation. All she could think was how she would react if Olivia were the one in the hospital, and she knew that being reasonable would be the last thing from her mind.

"You can understand it though," Sarah said quietly. "That fear... whenever you hear about a fire. Whenever she's ten minutes late home. When there's no answer to her cell. The fear...," she tailed off, seeing the wounded look on Jay's face. "Anyway," she tried to be more cheerful. "Rob's okay, and Amy's gonna be fine too. She said her blog's going well too, even some advertisers interested. Who would have guessed that a blog about being a lesbian in New York would be so popular!"

Jay smiled. "She writes well," she said. "And it's not some … you know … overly-dramatic blog. It's about ordinary people."

"Almost like lesbians are normal human beings," Alex teased, her spark resurfacing. She looked over, to see Vanessa returning with the children. "So, Lily-bean," she lifted her elder daughter into her lap. "Wow, you're getting heavy now. How was Wiggle?"

"He was good. Though he did lick all over Maisie's face, so she had to have another wash," Lily smiled.

"I think maybe we should head to the park for a half hour, so that Wiggle can run around a little," Olivia suggested. "And we might even find time to play on the swings, you'd like that Maisie, wouldn't you?" she took the baby from Vanessa's arms.

"Ma!" Maisie cooed, reaching out to grab Olivia's shirt.

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After they had all had fun in the park, they made their way home. Sarah and Jay kissed the others goodbye at their door, and crossed the road to their own apartment. "I love that we're so near," Sarah said to Jay, as they got into the elevator in their building. "We can really spend some meaningful time with them, especially the girls. We're so lucky to have such a great family. When I think back...," her tone was somber.

"Don't think," Jay said softly. "That was a long time ago. We've all come a long way since then. Your Mom most of all. It's a shame she couldn't come today, she'd have loved it, especially in the park."

Sarah smiled at her as they exited the elevator, and Jay opened the door to the apartment. "Want some tea?" Jay asked.

Sarah shook her head. "I want you," she pulled Jay to her, and kissed her tenderly. "God, I just love you so much."

"Right back at you," Jay smiled. She led Sarah to the couch, and pulled them both down. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart," she said in a quiet voice.

"For what?" Sarah was confused.

"For what I put you through. Every time I go to work," she clarified. "No, don't argue. I saw your face in the coffee shop, when you were talking about how Amy felt. I know what goes through your head every time you see me walk out of the door. And it's not fair on you."

"It's who you are," Sarah protested.

"No," Jay said softly. "I used to think it was. I thought I _was_ the job. And maybe I was. Before I met you, perhaps. But I'm not like Olivia. What she does, it's so important. And there are very few people like her, even in SVU. I like them all, especially Munch. But Olivia, she's the only person out of that bunch who I could talk to … about …," she didn't finish her sentence, but Sarah knew exactly what she meant. "So," Jay continued. "I can see why she has to go in every day. And I know it's awful for Alex. But Alex understands. She's at the coal face too. She knows what happens. She knows how important Olivia is. But that's just it, Sarah. My job, it doesn't matter. Or not so much. And there will always be people who want to be firefighters."

Sarah tried to tamp down on the spark of hope that was blossoming in her chest. "What are you saying?"

Jay took her hands. "I should have paid more attention to you. And I will. From now on, I swear. This job of mine, it hurts you. And that means that _**I **_am hurting you. And I hate that. It's gonna take a while, baby, but I'm going to find something else to do. I've been thinking about it, and there has to be something. I was thinking maybe plumbing, something like that. I could do a course, maybe online, or correspondence, or something. While I keep working. And then, in a few months, a year at most, I swear, I'll be qualified to do something else. What do you think?" she looked anxiously at her wife.

Sarah was stunned. "I can't ask you to do that. To give everything up for me."

"But you didn't ask. And, honestly Sarah, it's not everything to me. Not any more. There's only one thing that means the world to me, and she's sitting right here. Plumbing could be good, huh? I could wear that tool belt you like so much," she teased. "And," she touched Sarah's face softly, "then you'll know I'm not going to end up like Pop."

"I love your Pop," Sarah said weakly, her emotions raw.

"I know. And so do I. So much. And he doesn't let the chair hold him back. But I know what it would do to you if that were me. We can't promise each other we'll never get hurt, or sick. But I can do my best to minimize the risks. So, tomorrow, I'm going to spend the day at the computer, and I'm going to do some proper research. This isn't just for you, my darling. It's for us. Our future. And, when we have them, our kids. Our family."

Sarah didn't realize that she was weeping until Jay brushed the tears from her cheeks with her thumbs. "Are you sure?"

"More sure than I have ever been," Jay said. She felt a great weight lift from her heart. Now that she had actually said it, she felt lighter, happier. She didn't feel the slightest pang. "I'm looking forward to the future. And you're earning more now, so if I have to start at the bottom of the ladder, in terms of wages, we'll be okay. As long as you don't mind me being a kept woman for a while."

"Just so long as you're _my_ kept woman," Sarah's voice cracked.


End file.
